In California, Yvon Chouinard, the founder of sustainability focused outdoor brand Patagonia, is living in a straw house designed by architect Dylan Johnson. The pair tells Dwell that straw is a promising and ecofriendly alternative to conventional building materials. “In the ’60s, people were talking a lot about straw bale houses and mud houses, adobe, […]
In London, a startup is converting polysaccharides in seaweed into bioplastics for packaging. Searo tells Food-Navigator Europe that its material extends the shelf-life of fruits and vegetables and is compostable. “We’re working to make sure that everything we make breaks down very rapidly,” says co-CEO Francis Field. Early applications include “really big offenders” to plastic […]
In Belgium, researchers at the University of Antwerp have found poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances in straws, including those made from plant-based materials. For straws made from paper and bamboo, they could not determine whether contamination with the forever chemicals occurred from contamination of soil or processing, or was added deliberately to improve straw performance. For […]
In Mumbai, India, a startup called Bioleather has launched a new vegan leather made from tomato skin. The company uses a patented process that extracts lycopene from the peels. The lycopene is then mixed with cotton, organic material from the tomato and its plant, and an unnamed biopolymer to produce the “flexible, durable, and ecological” […]
In India, fashion brand FOReT has launched a collection of biodegradable bags made from banana bark. Using a unique crochet method, the label has created clutches, slings, waist-belt bags and a “dramatic” purse with chains and tassels called Mystic Cascade. The bags are produced by extracting fibers from banana tree bark and forming twine. Removal […]
In the Netherlands, Cyclon has launched a new bike lubricant and cleaner line that is 100% plant based. Dubbed The Cycle Division, the line includes wax chain lube made from canola oil and is proven to last longer than petrochemically based oils. Cycling Industry noted that the lube also demonstrates greater performance, with lower friction […]
In Israel, startup MadeRight has raised $2 million in seed funding to drive biodegradable packaging made from fungi. Founded in 2022, MadeRight is using fermentation to cultivate fungi grown on organic industrial waste such as wood chips to produce biodegradable packaging materials. When mixed with bioplastics, the material can be pelletized and used within existing […]
In New York, biotech firm Pureture has developed plant-based casein and aims to further formulate vegan dairy products from plant-based ingredients. Casein is a milk protein that prevents fat and water from separating. Pureture’s plant-based casein can be used to produce cheese, milk and yogurt free from animal-derived ingredients. “At Pureture, we’re laser focused on […]
In North Carolina, biotechnology company Jellatech has announced an oversubscribed, $3.5-million seed round as it looks to scale production of bio-identical human, bovine, and porcine collagens from animal-free sources. Such proteins have applications in healthcare, personal care, biomedical research, and the food and beverage industries. “We are very excited to bring in new and existing […]
In Toronto, cellular ag firm CULT Food Science Corp. and Umami Bioworks, a cultivated seafood company based in Singapore, have unveiled a hybrid cell-cultivated pet food brand for cats. Dubbed Marina Cat™, the brand’s first product is a cat treat that includes cultivated snapper produced by Umami Bioworks. The result is a high protein, low […]
